Gear-shifting and brake-applying mechanism.



B. T. EPPS.

GEAR SHIFTING AND BRAKE'APPLYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1909.

996,572, Patented June 27,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

EUQMM .B. T. EPPS.

GEAR SHIFTING AND BRAKE APPLYING MECHANISM. I I AfPiIGATION FILED DEC. 4, 1909. 99 ,572, 1 Patented June 27,1911.

2 QHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STA ES PATENT cur os.

BENJAMIN 'r. nrrs, or ATH'ENs, GEORGIA.

GEABi-SHIFTING AND BRAKE-APPLYING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters ,Patent. Patented June 27, 1911.

Application filed December 4, 1909. Serial m. 531,372. I

To all whom it may concern: I I

.Be it known that I, BENJAMIN T. EPPs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Athens, in the county of Clarke, State of Georgia, have invented certain new anduseful I'ihprm ementS in Gear-Shifting and Brake'fApplying Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a fall, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art, to-

through the-instrumentalityof the low speed.

pedal and the brake pedal respectively.

It is the object "of this invention to so connect the high gear clutch mechanism and the low gear pedal that thet-hrowingout of the high gear and "the application of the'low gear is accomplished by the actuation of the low pedal without recourse to the high gear hand lever, the initial movement of said low pedal serving tothrow out the igh gear and the final movements throwing in the low gear. 1

A further object of the inventioiihs to likewise so connect the high gear! clutch mechanism and the brake pedal that the initial movements of the brake pedal will throw out the high. gear while its, final movement will apply the brake.

Vith theabove and other objects in view D the invention consists in -the details of construction and in the'a'rrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and set forth in theclaims.

.Iifilescribing theinvention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views and in which,

Figure 1. is a side elevation of a motor vehicle with the inventionincorporatd, certain portions of same being broken away,

and the hand lever for operating the clutch mechanism shown in full lines in the'position same occupies when the machine 11s in high gear and in dotted lines in the position occupied when the high. gear is thrown out by the hand lever. Fig. 2, a top plan view V of what is shown in Fig. 1, a portionof the 51 floor of the vehicle being broken away so as to show the connection between the high speed clutch mechanism and the low ear and brake pedal; Fig. 3, a view simila? to Fig.1 showing the position of the operating 5 lever of the high gear clutch mechanism when the low gear pedal is operated; and, Fig. {1,11 top plan 'view of what is shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings A represents a motor vehicle provided with the usual. nig'n speed clutch operating shaft 5 which carries at its end the hand lever 6; the movement of said lever in a. forwardly direction serving to rotate said shaft to throw in the high speed clutch and its movement in arearward direction serving to throw out said clutch. Projecting through the floorin of the vehicle is the usual brake pedal T, slow speed pedal 8 and emergency brake pedal 9,-which are adapted by their. actuation to operate the mechanisms to which they are connected.

Projecting from theshaft 5 is a short arm 10 to the free end of which is pivoted one end of a link 11; the other end of which has secured theretoa pair of oppositely disposed, hook shaped members 12 and 13, the member 12 extending forward of and embracing the brake pedal 7, and the member 13 likewise extending forward of'and embracing the 'slow speed pedal 8. The operation of the mechanism just describedis as follows z-Assnming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, in full lines with the hand lever 6 disposedforwardly and the machine in high gear,'it is only necessary in order to throw out the high and apply the low to move the pedalv 8 forwardly its full extent. This forward movement of the pedal 8 will because of the engagement of the member 13 therewith draw the link 11 forwardly and thus produce a rotation of the shaftothrough the medium "of the short arm 10. The hand lever 6 during this operation will be returned to the position shown in Fig. '3, and the .high gear will be thrown out and immediately subsequent to the throwing out of the high gear which is accomplished by the initial movement of the brake 8 the low gear will be thrown in and thus the change .from a-highto a low gear effected without leased. i

thrown in automatically under the influence of the clutch spring.

any manual operation of tl1e. lever"- 3.'---It l will be noted, however, that the"'niovenient of the pedal 8 is not su'tlicient to return the f hand lever 6 to the position sheen in' dotted lines in Fig. 1, and theretoret ie shaft' 5 is' not rotated 'a sutlicient. distance to'lock the clutch spring and it:- Will follow that" as soon as the pedal 8 'is released the low gear will be thrown out autonmticallv. in the usual manner and the high gear will likeivise'be 'hen it' is desired to apply the bral ceto the machine when same is traveling in higl'i' gear, without manually operating the" hand lever (i it. is only necessary to niove the pedal 7 with the foot, \vhieh movement by reason ofthe engagementof the pedal-t) vith the member l'l will eauseilurlink 11 to rotate the shaft 5 and throw outthe high'gear, such nioreineut of-tlnpedjil ser'ving' at the" same time to apply the brake in the! usual nunnu-iz- .\s the length of movement that. can he imparted to the pedal T is greater than that ivhich ea'n be imparteilfto the":

pedal Sby'rcason ofth'e dill'erenee in lengtn'j of the slots 'in' which the travel, 'a "contplete movement of the pedal T will ifeturni the hand lever ('3 and the shaft 5 to 1110 3 14 tion shown in Fig. 1,- and thus lock the clutch spring against again 'tllIfO\\"l1Ig\i1l the l'iigh gear when the brake pedal'Tis' rethe manualoperation of the hand' lever ot'" the high gear clutch mecl'ianisni When-either the low gear or ther'ln'ake is applied andt for. carrying tl inf -itipn. into a practice it'j \vfill lie-"obi. oust tha, tletailflchanges may be instituted without departing from the scope of the in entim :v1'.' In. a moton' 'x'ehicle, the combination it-ha rotatable shaft'for controlling the ,high gear eIuteh', an arm on said shaft, a

'gear eh'iteli and the brake mechanism -respectivel and a hnk having one end conpair of pedal levers forcontrollingthe'lour nected' with the amnion said shaft, and-the other end adapted'for engagement \vitlrsaid;

nient'of one of saidf-pedal levers in one to cause sau e to throw outthe' high geareluteh and then throwm the low' gear the; high 'geaiucluteh and'then actuate the ;brakemechanism.;

pair of pedallevers for controlling the low vehicle between. said pedals and provided pedal levers respect ively, \vl-iereby the 1nove [neat of one of said-pedal'levers in one direction will. sin-.eehsively rotate said shaft, to cause sanie to'throw out the high gear clutch and"theiijthrow in.the'lo\\' gear clutch, and.

,:'--::l direction will successively rotate said shaftto cause same-to"thro\v. out the high fun-e; in presence o't' two witnesses.

I BENJAMIN T; EPPS.

\vhile l have shown one particular tortuclutch and the inoven entof the other pedal lever 1nsaul-dn'eetion .RYlll success vely ro-" lillv'hzlkl shaft to cause same to throw out pedal levers dnring'the movement of the httter in one (ll.1 '(3il0ll. whereby the 1110Vedirection \vill successively"rotate said shaft '70 In a "motor "vehicle,- the. combination- "\vu'u a rotatable shatt for controlling the" {high gear. clutch, an arm onstud shaft; a

gear clutch. and. the bra'ke mechanism re-ulspeetivelj'. a link lia ving one end pivotally C(Illlltt'ltftl fiVilli thearln on saidsh'aft, and tliootller entl supported by the body-of the with;oppositely ,sposetT -lateral projectionsextending 'aeross-thepath ot travel of sald"- the movement; of the other pedal lever in geaI ttlHleli aiulthen actuate the brakc'nieclr In" t'estin'iouy whereof, I allixmy-signa- 

